APP candidate upbeat of unseating incumbent

All People’s Party (APP) candidate, Marcelius Haivera, says he will wrestle the councillor position from Michael Shikongo of Swapo who voters accuse of not having brought any development to their constituency.
Shikongo, the incumbent, has been at the helm of the Rundu Rural Constituency for the past 10 years but some voters are unhappy about his performance.

Haivera, who at 31 is the youngest candidate, rattled a few political feathers by boldly declaring his intentions to unseat Shikongo on election day.

“It’s not my decision. It’s the peoples’ decision. The community approached me and said I am theirs and they have seen potential in me, and that I should save them. So I agreed, some of them are calling me the Moses of Rundu Rural Constituency,” said Haivera.

Haivera told New Era on Tuesday he is ready and he is prepared to contest as the councillor for Rundu Rural Constituency, because he strongly believes he is the candidate that the electorate wants as their councillor.
“I’m a resident of the constituency. I’m from Muhopi village. I started my school there and later went to Shambyu and attended Maria Mwengere Secondary School. The people know me and they know what I can do for them,” said the youthful APP candidate.

“My objectives or my priority is that in the first place one cannot lead people who are thirsty so I will bring water to the people in the constituency as you know that people in Rundu Rural Constituency especially women are still walking long distances to fetch water. Some rely on the river which makes them vulnerable to drowning and crocodile attacks. So I will try by all means to bring water to my people,” he promised.

If elected Maivera says he will uplift the youth through development activities in the area.
“I will empower them. I will make platforms for the youth to be equipped with different skills that they need for them to stand on their own, even open up a facility for computer training and so on. There are a lot of things that I am prepared to do,” declared the APP candidate.

He said: “I am going in with a purpose. All of us know what has been happening. Rundu rural community demonstrated recently saying they don’t want the current councillor to stand for elections. I’m their only option. “We have been crying for the past 10 years, now this is the time to at least chose a better candidate who will be suitable to bring about development in the constituency that hasn’t seen any development yet,” Haivera said.